3 Books on North Korea and the Threat of Nuclear War

North Korea is a true Orwellian society: The totalitarian government, currently led by Kim Jong-un, keeps its citizens disconnected from the internet and controls radio stations and newspapers, filling them with propaganda. The most minimal sign of dissent could land one in a concentration camp, as demonstrated by the case of Otto Warmbier, an American student held in North Korea for 17 months after he was charged with attempting to steal a propaganda poster. He returned to the United States this June in a coma, “unable to speak, unable to see and unable to react to verbal commands,” according to a statement from his parents; the 22-year-old died soon after. As tension between the two countries intensifies — President Trump has promised “fire and fury” should North Korea attempt an attack on the United States — below are two books that delve into the regime and life under Kim rule, while another makes policy suggestions for dealing with the nuclear threat.

The Kim regime was established in 1948 by Kim Il-sung and inherited by his son Kim Jong-il, who ruled until his death in 2011, when his son Jong-un took over. This book, which took Martin 25 years to complete, draws on source material from China and Russia, as well as extensive interviews with defectors to paint a portrait of these two men. Kim Il-sung fought against the Japanese occupation in the 1930s, and came to power by creating a cult of personality that honored him as a deity. He was the country’s leading novelist, designer, philosopher and Ping-Pong trainer. North Koreans celebrated Kim’s birthday instead of Christmas, and he distributed gifts to children across the country like Santa Claus. Many genuinely revered him, but Martin argues that support has waned after his death in 1994. In his interviews, Martin learned that some North Koreans welcome the idea of a war; one defector says “people figure they will die of hunger or die in war. They’re prepared to die in a nuclear war.”

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THE AQUARIUMS OF PYONGYANGTen Years in the North Korean GulagBy Kang Chol-hwan and Pierre Rigoulot266 pp. Basic Books. (2005)

In this memoir, Kang Chol-Hwan recounts the 10 years of his youth spent in a labor camp. In 1977, when he was nine, his entire family was taken under suspicion of his grandfather’s counterrevolutionary tendencies. By the time they were unexpectedly released in 1987, they had endured unimaginable treatment — regular beatings, dismal living conditions and a diet that forced them to eat salamanders and rats for sustenance. Kang’s harrowing, straightforward account gives an inside look at what “re-education” really means and serves as proof of the ongoing brutal repression.

This book is presented as a debate between the authors on what United States policy toward Pyongyang should be. Kang, the director of the University of Southern California’s Korean Studies Institute, believes that North Korea is unlikely to attack its southern neighbor or anyone else. Cha, a Georgetown professor who ran Asia policy for the George W. Bush White House, has a more alarmist view. He finds North Korea unreliable and unpredictable. The two weigh the pros and cons of isolation versus engagement with the regime, and Cha makes a strong argument for what he calls “hawk engagement,” a skeptical approach that gives North Korea incentives to affect good behavior. Their contribution is important for its frank discussion of the possibility of a nuclear attack and their presentation of potential courses of action.

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A3 of the New York edition with the headline: Here to Help; Three Books to Help You Understand North Korea. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe